Display rack



Aug. 11,1942. A. EDWARDS 2,2

- DISPLAY RACK:

Filed Sept. 24, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m 'INVENTOR.

F'g. 2. x'f/n/r Edwards W I rram/EK l l I Patented Aug. 11, 1942 DISPLAY RACK Arthur Edwards, Kansas City, Mo., assignor to Hall Bros., Inc., Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application September 24, 1941, Serial No. 412,149

6 Claims. (Cl. 211-128) This invention relates to display racks for relatively small articles, which must be maintained in orderly arrangement with certain portions thereof exposed to view and yet rendered easily accessible.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of a display rack for articles, such as greeting cards or other units having pictorial illustrations or printed matter thereon, certain parts of which are preferably exposed to the view of the purchaser to facilitate selection, said rack comprising a number of collapsible units scored, cut and otherwise formed to interlock and afford a self-sustaining assembly, capable of being erected by the user, after shipment in a fiat condition from the manufacturer.

One of the important objects of this invention is to provide a display rack of the aforementioned character having a pair of specially constructed supporting walls, between which is extended a unitary, scored and bent sheet of material, held by the walls in a fashion to establish a series of shelves and panels forming compartments for the reception of Vendible articles, certain elements of the walls being fashioned to interlock and frictionally engage parts of the bent sheet of material to maintain a rigid relation.

Other objects of the invention will appear during the course of the following specification, referring to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a display rack embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross sectional view through the same, taken on line IIII of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detailed perspective view of a portion of the sheet of material from which the series of shelves and panels are formed.

Fig. 4 is a stretch out view of the supporting section of the rack.

Fig. 5 is a stretch-out view of the sheet of material from which the series of shelves and panels are formed; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed sectional view taken on line VI-VI of Fig. 5.

The preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, comprises a rack having a pair of upstanding walls 8, bent along the bottom edges and hingedly connected to a base I6. The upper edges of walls 8 are inclined and have a series of ears I 2 and notches l4. Each ear is notched as at l6 and the lowermost ear [2, has a shoulder IS on the free edge thereof. Ear 20 near. the forward, lowermost corner of each Wall 8, cooperates with shoulder l8 in a manner more fully hereinafter set down, to hold the parts in assembled relation.

When walls 8 are first constructed and. shipped to the user, they are in a flat condition, as shown in Fig. 4, and bent to base [0 at lines of hinge I I, along which lines, scoring is formed.

The rack comprises but two unitary elements, one of which has just been described and that constitutes walls 8 and base H]. The other element is a sheet of material similar to that from which walls 8 and I!) are made, and is preferably fiber board or a light cardboard faced with decorative and strong paper.

This sheet of material, generally designated by the numeral 22, is divided into a number of longitudinal shelves and panels 24 and 26 respectively. A marginal portion 28 along one edge of sheet 22 assumes the position shown in Fig. 2 when the rack is assembled.

Each panel 26 has a slot 30 cut therein adjacent to and parallel with each end respectively, to receive One of ears I2. The length of these slots is substantially the same as the length of said ears.

A reinforcing strip 32 secured along the back side of upper panel 26 precludes bending and cooperates with upper panel 26 in presenting a relatively thick member to the notch [6 in the uppermost ear [2.

When sheet 22 has certain portions rebent upon itself to cause the uppermost marginal edges of panels 26 to be made of multiply material, ears l2 will function as illustrated in Fig. 2.

Ears [2 are spaced from the tops of shelves 24 and the thickness of ears 12 at their lower edges is greater than the width of shelves l2 to maintain frictional engagement between the notches l6 and the portions of panels 26 adjacent to the upper ends of slots 30. The ear progressively decreases in width as the upper ends are approached to facilitate assembly and further to establish an end wall for each compartment created between panels 26 and above the shelves.

Ear 26 has an edge 34 lying against the face of lowermost panel 26 to hold the upper edge of said panel beneath shoulder l8. Lowermost panel 26 has its ends spaced inwardly from the ends of the remaining panels to establish a stop against which the inner face of ear 20 rests.

When the parts are assembled as just mentioned, the series of longitudinal compartments overlying each shelf 24 is established for the reception of articles to be displayed. The depth of notches I4 is substantially less than the Width of shelves 24 and after the outer, lower edge of ears [2 have forced panels 28 into the condition illustrated in Fig. 2, not only is a rigid structure established, but the several longitudinal compartments have front walls formed by the rebent portions of sheet 22, which are inclined upwardly and outwardly to establish compartments wider at the top than at the bottom.

The advantages arising from a display rack made in accordance with the present invention, are the ones apparent to those skilled in the art, and while only the preferred form has been illustrated and described, it is understood that changes and modifications might be made, all of which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as 'new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A display rack of the character described comprising a pair of upstanding walls each provided with an upwardly and rearwardly inclined upper edge having a, series of notched ears formed therealong; and a sheet of material, bent to create a plurality of shelves and panels extending between the walls, each of said panels projecting above the shelf therebehind to establish a longitudinal compartment, certain of said panels each having a slot in each end thereof receiving one of the ears, the notches of said ears each receiving a portion of the panels at the upper ends of the slots to lock the panels against outward lateral movement, one of said ears on each wall having the notch formed to present a shoulder to overlie the upper edge of one of the panels, the ears next below said one ear on each wall each having an edge in engagement with the face of said one panel to hold the upper edge thereof beneath said shoulder.

2. A display rack of the character described comprising a pair of upstanding walls each provided with an upwardly and rearwardly inclined upper edge having a series of notched ears formed therealong; and a sheet of material, bent to create a plurality of shelves and panels extending between the walls, each of said panels projecting above the shelf therebehind to establish a longitudinal compartment, certain of said panels each having a slot in each end thereof receiving one of the ears, the notches of said ears each receiving a portion of the panels at the upper ends of the slots to lock the panels against outward lateral movement, the width of certain of said ears being great enough to force the faces of the panels outwardly against the edges of the ears next below.

3. A display rack of the character described comprising a pair of upstanding walls each provided with an upwardly and rearwardly inclined upper edge having a series of notched ears formed therealong; and a sheet of material, bent to create a plurality of shelves and panels extending between the walls, each of said panels projecting above the shelf therebehind to establish a longitudinal compartment, certain ofsaid panels each having a slot in each end thereof receiving one of the ears, the notches of said ears each receiving a portion of the panels at the upper ends of the slots to lock the panels against outward lateral movement, the lower portions of said ears being between proximal panels and spaced above the shelves, said lower portions of the ears having a width greater than the width of the shelf next below.

4. A display rack of the character described comprising a pair of upstanding walls each provided with an upwardly and rearwardly inclined upper edge having a series of notched ears formed therealong; and a sheet of material, bent to create a plurality of shelves and panels extending between the walls, each of said panels projecting above the shelf therebehind to establish a longitudinal compartment, certain of said panels each having a slot in each end thereof receiving one of the ears, the notches of said ears each receiving a portion of the panels at the upper ends of the slots to lock the panels against outward lateral movement, said walls being joined at their lower edges by a base, the lowermost panel having an inturned marginal portion resting on the upper face of said base.

5. A display rack of the character described comprising a pair of upstanding walls each provided with an upwardly and rearwardly inclined upper edge having a series of notched ears formed therealong; and a sheet of material, bent to create a plurality of shelves and panels extending between the walls, each of said panels projecting above the shelf therebehind to establish a longitudinal compartment, certain of said panels each having a slot in each end thereof receiving one of the ears, the notches of said ears each receiving a portion of the panels at the upper ends of the slots to lock the panels against outward lateral movement, the lowermost panel being shorter than the remaining panels to present a spacer between the forward ends of the walls.

6. A display rack of the character described comprising a pair of upstanding walls each provided with an upwardly and rearwardly inclined upper edge having a series of nptched ears formed therealong; and a sheet of material, bent to create a plurality of shelves and panels extending between the walls, each of said panels projecting above the shelf therebehind to establish a longitudinal compartment, certain of said panels each having a slot in each end thereof receiving one of the ears, the notches of said ears each receiving a portion of the panels at the upper ends of the slots to lock the panels against outward lateral movement, the lower portions of said ears being between proximal panels and spaced above the shelves, said lower portions of the ears having a width great enough to force the faces of the panels outwardly against the edges of the ears next below, said ears progressively decreasing in width as the upper ends thereof are approached.

ARTHUR EDWARDS. 

